INDIANAPOLIS -- Two men have been charged with criminal mischief and criminal trespassing for causing at least $50,000 in damage to Fort Harrison State Park's Chinquapin Rookery Nature Preserve.
Michael Hufhand, 55, of Indianapolis, and Jed Kidwell, 54, of Carmel, are accused of pouring powerful herbicides to create a mountain bike trail that runs for several miles through the preserve.
Hoosier Mountain Biking Association builds legal mountain bike trails with Indiana Department of Natural Resources approval.
"We work with them up front to get through an approval process and permission to build, and then maintain the trails," said Paul Arlinghaus, Hoosier Mountain Biking Association.
Arlinghaus says Hufhand and Kidwell previously helped with building legal mountain bike trails.
The Chinquapin Preserve is a 100-acre protected area of nests or breeding grounds for birds.
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